Delhi govt asks HC to dismiss plea seeking to reduce drinking age
The Delhi government on Tuesday asked the high court to dismiss a plea seeking to reduce the legal age of drinking in the national capital. The legal age to consume alcohol in Delhi is currently 25 years. Defending the set age limit, the state government said that limitation of drinking age is a policy decision.
Further citing studies that show negative impact of drinking, the Delhi government told the court that “in any event age cannot be an irrelevant factor for regulating personal consumption of liquor, therefore fixing a minimum age for the same cannot be arbitrary.”
The court was hearing a plea filed by social activist Kush Kalra through his counsel Charu Walikhanna who sought to minimise legal drinking age in Delhi while focusing on responsible consumption and responsible sale of alcohol in the city.
The petitioner also sought quashing of Section 23 of Delhi Excise Act, which prescribes 25 years as legal age of drinking in the national capital and said discriminated against the residents of Delhi.
He also sought directions to the Delhi government to conduct awareness programmes on responsible consumption of alcohol among college and school-going students by including it in the curriculum.
